Travel Guide to Serengeti National Park: The Serengeti provides one of the greatest, if not the best, African safaris. We give all of the information you need to arrange your vacation, from transportation to safety and cost.
To organize a vacation to the Serengeti national park, you’ll need some fundamental facts. You must know how to get there, whether to go on a self-drive or organized safari, how to be safe, how much everything will cost, and when the ideal time of year to go is. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of everything you need to know to organize an unforgettable Serengeti safari.
Where is Serengeti National Park Found?
The Serengeti National Park is located in the far north of Tanzania, an East African country. The park is bounded to the east and southeast by Ngorongoro Conservation Area, and to the south by Maswa Game Reserve. The border with Kenya is to the north. The park’s western arm is not far from Lake Victoria. Because the park sits two to four degrees south of the Equator, temperatures do not change significantly throughout the year.
There are five parts of the Serengeti National Park: north, east, south, west, and Centre. Seronera Airport in Central Serengeti is the most popular region of the park, with several lodging options. The park has five gates, one of which is on the boundary with Ngorongoro Conservation Area, another wonderful area that is well worth visiting.
How do I get to Serengeti National Park?
The two primary modes of transportation to Serengeti National Park are vehicle and plane. There is no train service available.
Driving to Serengeti National Park.
The majority of visitors to the Serengeti depart from Arusha in northeast Tanzania (see map above). If you’re coming from Kilimanjaro (many people choose a Tanzania safari after climbing Kilimanjaro), Moshi (a bit east of Arusha, also depicted on the map) will be your staging point.
The seven-hour travel west from Arusha to Serengeti must pass via the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. (If you’re driving from Moshi, allow an extra hour.) We highly recommend that you add a stopover at Ngorongoro Crater in your trip schedule since it is a vast and stunning caldera (collapsed volcano) loaded with animals.
Flying to Serengeti National Park.
There are daily flights from Arusha’s Kilimanjaro Airport to both Seronera Airport in the middle Serengeti National Park and Kirawira B Aerodrome in the park’s western region. If you aren’t already in or near Arusha, you may take a connecting flight from Dar es Salaam on Tanzania’s coast (near Zanzibar) or Nairobi in Kenya. (Note that if you enter Tanzania from a country with a yellow fever risk, such as Kenya, you must provide a yellow fever vaccination certificate.)
What is the entrance fee to Serengeti National Park?
Visitors to Serengeti National Park pay 83 USD per person per day as entrance fees to the park.
Concession Fees.
Every guest staying in a hotel within Serengeti National Park must pay an extra cost per person per night. Please keep in mind that this is a cost imposed by Serengeti National Park and is not included in your lodging bill. This cost is now $71 per person each night for any foreigners over the age of 16.
Can I do a self-drive safari in Serengeti National Park?
Yes, self-drive safaris are possible in Serengeti National Park. However, we do not recommend it. We have grounds to say this;
To travel within Serengeti, you must have a good 4×4 and be proficient at driving it, as the park’s roads are rutted and difficult. If you break down inside Serengeti, don’t anticipate a quick, city-style response! It is consequently critical to travel in a well-maintained off-road vehicle capable of withstanding the terrain’s rigors.
While you can rent a 4×4 in Arusha, if something goes wrong with the car on the way to Serengeti national park or inside the park that you can’t fix, your vacation might be jeopardized. As a result, we recommend traveling with a tour operator such as Explore Rwanda Tours so that you have sufficient assistance and vehicle backup if anything goes wrong. Furthermore, it is advantageous to be driven by someone who is familiar with the park and its road network.
Travel Guide to Serengeti National Park : Where are the best places I can see wildlife in Serengeti National Park?
The Serengeti National Park has an area of 14,750 square kilometers. While you’ll encounter animals regardless of which location you visit or which way you go, if you’re really interested in seeing specific creatures, such as lion prides and rhino crashes, you’ll need a strategy.
Going on safari with a competent driver-guide is one apparent option. Driver-guides are familiar with the behaviors and habitats of the Serengeti’s diverse species. They know the finest watering holes for each season, the patterns of migrating herds, the birds to watch for in the trees, the significance of various animal footprints, the ideal lunch sites, and so much more.
Safari guides are also in contact with park officials and have access to the most recent information on animal positions. As a result, hiring a driver-guide is your best bet for viewing the Big Five and additional fan favorites.
Finally, a good driver-guide knows a lot about the animals, their habitats, and their habits, which may take your safari experience to the next level. For example, an uneducated tourist could watch elephants rolling in the mud and think they’re having fun. A driver-guide may confirm that they are doing this to stay cool while also protecting themselves from the sun and insect bites.
Travel Guide to Serengeti National Park : Witness the Great Migration in Serengeti National Park.
The Serengeti’s main claim to fame is the Great Migration, also known as the Great Wildlife Migration. It refers to the never-ending migration of two million wildebeests, zebras, and other gazelles in a huge, erratic circle in search of water and grass.
The Great Migration takes place mostly in Serengeti National Park, although it also extends into neighboring parks including Amboseli National Reserve in southern Kenya. While there are fantastic safaris in many African countries, nothing compares (or even comes close) to the Great Migration of Tanzania and Kenya. Visitors are mesmerized by the dizzyingly enormous herds that extend for kilometers and leave an unforgettable impact in memory banks.
When herds traverse the Grumeti and Mara Rivers in northern Serengeti, it is one of the most popular parts of the Great Migration. These are frantic periods when the animals swarm across the waterways, striving against all odds to make it to the other side. And the chances are stacked against you! A large number of people are slain by crocodiles, stampeded to death, or swept away by the current.
Travel Guide to Serengeti National Park : Is it Safe to visit Tanzania?
Tanzania is a safe place to visit. This is especially true in the extreme north, where we take guests to climb Kilimanjaro and embark on a Northern Circuit safari.
Travel Guide to Serengeti National Park : Is it Safe to visit Serengeti National Park?
Serengeti National Park is indeed safe. Every year, hundreds of thousands of people visit the area, making security a primary responsibility for park administrators. The greatest risk comes from visitors acting, well, foolish. Don’t decide you want an Instagram photo of yourself hugging a little lion cub, for example. Much of Africa’s wildlife is hazardous and must be respected and appreciated from a safe distance. Again, a safari driver-guide is important in keeping Serengeti National Park tourists safe. You should always, always follow his or her advice.
When is the best time to visit Serengeti National Park?
You may go on an incredible safari at Serengeti National Park at any time of year. You won’t be able to ‘miss’ the animals because the park has a rich ecology with millions of huge creatures. However, the Serengeti’s prime seasons are January to March and late June to October, for different reasons.
How to choose the best tour operator for your safari to Serengeti National Park?
How can you tell the difference between a reputable tour operator and a shady one when booking a Serengeti safari? Here are a few pointers for determining a tour operator’s credibility:
- Examine the website to ensure that everything is stable and consistent.
- In the contact information, look for an actual company address.
- Compare their pricing to those of rivals; if they are significantly less expensive, be sure they can explain why.
- Look for independent reviews of their services rather than those on their website (which may be fraudulent).
- Read the comments on their social media channels.
- Examine their communication with you; don’t dismiss your intuition if it tells you something isn’t right.
- Finally, you may always request a tax identification number.
What do I need to bring on my safari to Serengeti National Park?
Here are some safari suggestions when visiting Serengeti National Park:
- Always pay attention to your driver’s guide, if you have one. He or she understands what is and is not safe to do. Never leave the car unless your driver-guide has given you the all-clear.
- Bring a good set of binoculars with you. When you notice animals a short distance away, you’ll want to be able to train your binoculars on it for a better look.
- A camera with a decent zoom is also a plus for the same reason.
- Bring plenty of water, a sunhat, and sunscreen; the crater can become quite hot, especially in the summer.
- Don’t forget to carry bug repellent with you.
- Bring a notepad and a pen to record the names of any animals or birds you encounter. These will come in handy when you’re looking through your images at home and your memory fails you. It can also help you remember the names of animals you wish to look up on the internet.
